Category: CITW: One Shots

Goodbye

The three men remaining looked down at the bodies of their former colleagues in silence.

“Fucker,” Julio said and kicked dirt in Tony’s face. That’s about as close as Tony would come to a burial by his ‘friends’.

Nacho merely looked at Tony. They had been close. Same RangeMan class, best friends, partners. Well, partners. No one was friends with Tony. You simply had ‘allied interests’.

He looked around. They were in a jungle. That much he knew. They were in their cargoes and he had a knife. Since his mouth was wired, that was his information to share if he wanted. Continue reading →

We Fall Down but We Get Up

A/N: UnBeta’d. Sorry it’s late. I kept fiddling!
Bug: Correctional Officer

Thomas’s POV

Man in front of me is in his late 20s, maybe early 30s. Cool. He’s been reading my application for the past ten minutes and he hasn’t said shit yet.

Piman told me I’d be tested. Wish I’d asked more questions about the test.

He finally looks up. Cold dark brown eyes, ponytail, strong nose. Looks like Piman’s cousin, the darker version. Expensive ass suit. Gotta be Cuban. Shit. I hate Cubans. Only one I like is Piman. Oh, and Danilo. They’re cool. I wonder if this is another entitled little shit.

He leans back in his chair and stares at me. “Why?”

What the fuck? “Why?”

He taps my application. “What can I get from you that I can’t get from another applicant?”

Skills, fucker. I got ’em. Can I say that? Continue reading →

Promise

A/N: Prompt from EEG and CTBabe1202. Thanks!

Manolo Peña’s POV

I step back in line and watch Hector Gutierrez leave the gym.

Wow.

Just wow.

He told me that when he arrived in San Antonio he wouldn’t speak or acknowledge me, but . . .

I want to blush. He’s gorgeous. Well built, intimidating, no nonsense. Sexy as hell.

Great ass.

I shake my head mentally and stand at attention. I see his partner, Stephanie, up at the front. She was a sweetie. I see her grandmother in her. Even though we both knew we couldn’t speak to each other, her eyes said, So you’re Manolo, huh? Hiiiiii!

I learned how to control the blushing in the Navy. Thank god. I might’ve been pitched overboard if I had not.

Hector was putting my abilities to the test. Continue reading →

I Kissed a LOT of Frogs

One Shot Prompt from Lyllyn, trish94509 and jillianpappan. Thanks!

“Good judgment comes from experience, and experience comes from bad judgment.”

Juana’s POV

“So, what do you do?”

Besides sit with losers like you trying to find something in common? “I’m a cop.”

His eyes widen. “Really?” He laughs nervously. “FBI or something?”

“Yeah.”

The smile drops. “Really?”

I flash the badge. “Really.” I chew another forkful of the excellent steak he’s paying for. No need to waste food.

This is another failed date but he’s decent in bed. He’ll go on the reserve list. Continue reading →

‘I’m Sorry’ is NOT Enough

A/N: UnBeta’d. I’m sorry it’s so late. We are BOTH having internet problems.

Lula’s POV

Ches Deuce ain’t saying much. That’s not unusual. RangeMen don’t talk in cars, no matter how long or short the distance. This is one of those times when I really miss Steph. We used to talk, debate, laugh, and jam to my tunes. I get in cars with RangeMen and go to sleep.

We’re in Ches’s personal car, a green Chevy Trailblazer with the naked girl mud flaps. Classy. Ches has the radio on and he’s singing along to some country song, smiling and happy. He looks like a country boy, brown hair, brown eyes, skinny like the Marlboro Man. He’s even wearing the plaid shirt and dusty looking blue jeans tucked into black cowboy boots.

“Where are you from?”

He glances at me for a moment. “Austin.” Continue reading →

A Mind is a Terrible Thing to Waste

A/N: All quotes from Sun Tzu, The Art of War, unless otherwise noted.

Even the finest sword plunged into salt water will eventually rust.

Les’s POV—Two weeks ago

I’m listening to everything Hec’s passing back.

Damian is a pissed man. Good.

Didn’t take me long to figure out which member of MS-13 was the set captain. Damian is trying to make a name for himself. He was a rising member in Oakland, a tough area to make your bones, and he’s garnered attention inside and outside the organization. Our former Mexican Mafia members worked their contacts to get me a name.

I might have to buy Emilio a drink. He’s at RMSA, in research, and he kept at it until he got the name.

I’ve been watching Damian for a month and I’m impressed. Piman’s not.

“He’s striking at my men. They want to strike back.” Piman’s staring at me, cold. “I don’t believe in collateral damage, Les. This shit’s pissing me off.”

I nod. I know. He’s ready to blow some shit up and protect his men but not yet. They have to accept this with patience.

A week later, Piman acknowledges that waiting was the right method to use. They made a mistake. The FBI followed them and arrested 106 in a raid.

I fought not to allow the grin. I knew they would.

Appear weak when you are strong, and strong when you are weak.

Johanssen and I are now friends. These next strikes, in Charlotte and Miami simultaneously, will cement Marsden.

I’m rolling up the carpet now. Time to bring this op to a close. Continue reading →

Mea Culpas

A/N: Prompt (and title) from trish94509.

“Dumbledore says people find it far easier to forgive others for being wrong than being right.”

Hermione Granger, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

Mark’s POV—During Steph’s time in Miami

I have no idea what I’m looking at.

This looks like a basic street corner in Boston, but more ‘ethnically diverse’.

Vic’s slouched in the seat next to me, staring at the crowd of people walking by. “Spotted him?”

I look at him in confusion. “No. Have you?”

“Been looking at him for five minutes,” Vic says calmly. “Can’t take him right now. He’s surrounded. Plus, no law enforcement backup.” Continue reading →

The New Boys Get a Clue

A/N: One Shot Prompt from mcrmyrangerbabe. It’s a long one. I’m covering almost seven months here. Enjoy!

Month 1

SA RangeMen Recruits—Military Vet’s POV

RangeMan is no joke.

Every man hired so far has been intimidated by his new colleagues. Even the vets hitting the gym are astonished by the veteran RangeMen. They are, without a doubt, some of the most intimidating men we’ve ever seen.

They don’t play. They don’t joke. They have cliques, location based, but they’re quick to remind everyone that they’re brothers. You might be from Miami or Trenton or Atlanta but at the end of the day, you’re a RangeMan and that’s all that matters. Continue reading →

The War at Home

A/N: You guys asked for this one. One Shot Prompts from Lyllyn, babesrus2, and Meyzen. It took me a long time to get the Muse working on this one and it’s a long one.
Keep the Kleenex (or the RangeMan hankies) handy. Those of you who are mothers, get two boxes.

There’s nothing wrong with narcissists that reasoning with them won’t aggravate.

There was never any equality in the fight.

From the moment Armando Rafael Cortes was born, he was always behind the eight-ball. Never the front-runner. Never the winner.

He started off wrong by being six days late. Not his fault. He had no idea that the doctor had assigned him a birth date and that, by being late, he’d disrupted his mother’s careful plan. Armando should have been first, so Connie could smile smugly at her sister and congratulate herself for having a beautiful baby boy first. Armando came when nature decided it was his time, but this was held against him for years. Continue reading →

The End of Grief

A/N: Prompt from shirleygirl2013. This takes place in Miami before Steph arrives.

“Every widow wakes one morning, perhaps after years of pure and unwavering grieving, to realize she slept a good night’s sleep, and will be able to eat breakfast, and doesn’t hear her husband’s ghost all the time, but only some of the time.” ~ Jonathan Safran Foer

“Sneaking away?”

The voice is rough, sleep edged and amused. Maria stills, her clothes in hand. She’d meant to leave Rafe’s room before he woke, but he must be a light sleeper. She feels caught, like a naughty child.

“Umm . . . ” This is awkward. She’s unsure. How do young women do this? How do they get up and walk away after a night of passion without feeling awkward and guilty? Continue reading →